The only thing harder than being a teen today is being the parent of a teen. Here are three keys that can make this job a little easier:

1. Stay connected. Teens who have a close, warm and stable relationship with their parents also are more likely to have close, kind and warm friendships with other teens and adults. They have more self-confidence. They are kind and know how to choose friends who are kind in return.
2. Stay tuned in. Know your teen’s friends, and know what she does in her free time. Teens with parents who are “clued in” to these things are less likely to get into trouble than other teens. When you have a close relationship with your teen, your monitoring will seem more like caring and concern than like prying.
3. Give your teen some space. As teens grow older, they need to learn how to make their own choices. If your teen spouts an opinion you disagree with, don’t get mad. Ask, “What makes you say that?” You may both learn something!

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